Lakers struggling to learn how to defend without fouling

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Los Angeles Lakers’ coach Luke Walton reacts to a call during the first quarter as they play the Denver Nuggets during an NBA preseason game at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario on October 9, 2016. (Photo by Will Lester/SCNG)

Lakers coach Luke Walton has brought in officials to oversee scrimmages during the past two weeks of training camp. He hoped their presence would help the Lakers learn how to defend without fouling. Instead, those officials have often pulled out their whistles because of rough play.

A similar trend has played out in the actual games. The Lakers (2-2) enter Thursday’s exhibition against Sacramento Kings (1-2) in Las Vegas at T-Mobile Arena collecting 106 fouls, the worst marks in the NBA and slightly more than Philadelphia (95).

“A lot of our fouls come when we’re late on rotations,” Walton said. “We have a bad tendency to reach for steals. The best way to do it in a simple answer, which I know isn’t the way it ever plays out, is get to where you’re supposed to be on time.”

“We got to get better at that,” Russell said. “That’s something we have to come together as a group and really take pride into doing that. We can’t figure it out.”

The Lakers believe they will figure it out with more experience.

Walton has instructed his players to have proper defensive positioning with their chest up high. He praised his Lakers’ frontline for jumping without leaning into an opponent. Russell acknowledged his own bad habits in trying to swipe the ball.

“We’re just trying to establish how we’re playing,” Randle said. “It’s a fine line of being conscious and establishing the physicality we want to play with, too.”

All the fouls could be part of the growing pains for a young team. Walton doesn’t want bad habits to become long-term problems.

“I don’t have a timetable I stick to other than what I see with my eyes,” Walton said. “We’ll continue to do it until we break those habits and form new habits. Once that happens, we’ll still continue to do it to make sure that we maintain those habits. But I have no idea how long that will take.”

Walton added the Lakers’ analytics staff had said it typically takes three weeks for someone to retain new information. The Lakers have completed two weeks of training camp, and the team’s season opener is on Oct. 26.

Walton then deadpanned, “By then, we’ll be the best defensive team in the NBA.”

Growth mindset

The words sounded pleasing to Walton’s ear. After posting 12 points on 6-of-21 from the field and 0-of-9 from 3-point range, Russell reported feeling eager to work with Walton on how to improve his game.

“Everybody I want to hear that from, but that’s how D’Angelo has been ever since we’ve been here as a staff,” Walton said. “He’s been trying to learn more and wants to watch tape and wants to go watch games. He’s been very coachable. You want that out of your young players.”

Belt tightening

The Lakers made their first round of roster cuts by waiving Travis Wear and rookies Zach Auguste and Julian Jacobs.

The Lakers enter Thursday’s exhibition against Sacramento with 17 players on their roster. They can hold a maximum of 15 players once the regular season begins in late October.

Auguste did not play in any preseason games after averaging 5.3 points and 4.0 rebounds in 15:41 minutes per game in Summer League play. Jacobs, a former USC standout, posted three points and two assists in 11 minutes through two preseason appearances. Wear, a former Santa Ana Mater Dei and UCLA product, had three points and two rebounds in 11 minutes through two exhibitions.

Walton still expressed interest in all three players competing for the Lakers’ Development League affiliate, the D-Fenders. That could hinge on what interest either player receives from other NBA teams and overseas.

Mark Medina has been the Lakers beat writer for the Los Angeles Daily News since 2012. He also works as a Lakers insider for AM570 and is heard on national radio outlets, including The Dan Patrick Show, The Herd with Colin Cowherd, The Chris Mannix Show, Fox Sports Radio, CBS Sports Radio, Yahoo! Sports Radio and SB Nation Radio. Medina also appears frequently on Spectrum SportsNet and NBC4's "Going Roggin."